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This Week's Question
What do you do with books you
no longer want? Do you donate them?
Do you take them to a half-price
bookstore? Does a friend or
family member benefit?
(Submitted by Elizabeth @
My Answer
GREAT question, Elizabeth! And it's being answered by a longtime certified book hoarder! Lol.
Quite honestly, it's really hard for me to say that I "no longer want a book". Lol. However, there have indeed been books now and then that I have REALLY wanted to get rid of. One such book is Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë. I used to own a couple of copies of it, but then asked myself WHY I had them, since I totally LOATHE this novel. So I donated them to a local Goodwill store.
Sadly, I was forced to donate a VERY large part of my collection when my husband and I moved into a smaller apartment, back in March of 2015. We had to sacrifice size in favor of location; we moved to a much nicer part of the city, with better security. Plus, we were no longer renting, but buying. So....with a very heavy heart, I found myself having to donate boxes and boxes of books to Goodwill. I was surprised at the titles I had accumulated over the years, too! Some of them were even easy to part with, incredibly enough. Others were not so easy....so I have them on one of my Amazon wish lists, for later acquisition. Where I'll put them, though, I have NO idea! Lol.
In spite of all of these donations, there were some books that I just could NOT bear to part with. So they're in public storage, and I'm paying a monthly fee for them. This might seem like a waste of money to most people, but what can I do?
So, when the rare occasion arises that I really DO want to get rid of a book, I will usually donate it, either to a Goodwill store, or to my local library. Of course, when I donate to a library, I check out the books other people have already donated to them! Haha! So it actually turns into a trade type of situation. (Although one library I visit from time to time asks for a monetary donation when you pick up donated books from them.)
Another book I actually COULDN'T WAIT to get rid of was The Gift by Cecelia Ahern. OMG, I TOTALLY loathe that book, too!! If any of you reading this post have read and liked it, I hope I haven't offended you. But then, everyone has their own reading tastes.
When I began reading that novel, I really liked it, but a certain plot twist had me wanting to throw the book against the wall! Honestly. Rather than do that, I quickly added it to my "To Be Donated" pile. Needless to say, I never finished the book. (I did peek ahead to the ending, and THAT was what made me see RED. Good thing I found out right away, though, so I didn't waste any more time. Lol.)
I don't give away books to any friends or family, sad to say..... My parents used to read years ago, but in recent years they've pretty much stopped. Besides, their taste in books is nowhere similar to mine, lol. They are very conservative folks, tending towards classics and nonfiction -- especially Catholic books. Me, I'm VERY eclectic and will also read stuff considered "non-kosher" by my family. Lol. I like classics, literary fiction, paranormal romance, fantasy, science fiction, historical romance, urban fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and nonfiction. In nonfiction, my tastes run mostly to art, psychology, and spirituality (Christian and some New Age). As for my sisters, they are not into books at all. So, no, I wouldn't give any of my unwanted books to my family.
As for friends.....woe is me....I don't really have that many real-life friends. There are a couple of fellow teachers at work I'm friendly with, but I really wouldn't call them friends, since we don't hang out outside of work. I actually spend most of my time with my husband, especially the weekends.
One of these teachers, whom I have dinner with in the teachers' lounge every evening (Monday to Thursday) does like to read. She especially enjoys reading Ken Follett. She actually gave me a rather dog-eared paperback copy of World Without End, which I've been meaning to read. Even though I don't like to own books in that condition, I will go ahead and read this one. If I really like it, then I'll buy my own pristine copy. If not, then I'll take it over to Goodwill, and not buy a new copy for myself. Lol.
Of course, I do have friends in the book blogging world, but alas, they all live far, far away from me..... I wouldn't be shipping any of my unwanted books to them, as this could get VERY expensive, even if I didn't do it that often.
In the past, I've also gotten rid of books through my own blog giveaways. This is how I got rid of my Fallen books. This is a series written by a YA author named Lauren Kate. I mentioned these books in last week's post. Well, I held my own giveaway, and was able to get them off my shelves that way! Of course, this was not an international giveaway. It was only for U.S. residents. There's no way I would be able to afford postage for an international winner!
I'm currently thinking of holding a giveaway for a book I didn't quite like -- A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas. I know that a LOT of people have raved about this novel, but there are some objectionable elements in it, in my opinion. Again, this was a book I started out liking, but the author really ruined it for me in the end. Maybe someone who would like to read it will be happy to win it in a giveaway on this blog.
If any of you reading this have some unwanted books (and you probably do, even if you're a diehard hoarder like me), consider holding a giveaway with these books as prizes. What you don't like might be just the thing another book lover would! If, however, this doesn't appeal to you -- especially if you're not a fan of Rafflecopter giveaways -- then I think donating your books to a Goodwill store, or a library, would be your best bet.
I would NOT recommend trying to get rid of your unwanted books on Amazon or eBay, in case you've thought of THAT option. Selling on either of these two sites can be a HUGE headache! I know, because I tried selling some books on eBay once. No fun at all!
Quite honestly, it's really hard for me to say that I "no longer want a book". Lol. However, there have indeed been books now and then that I have REALLY wanted to get rid of. One such book is Wuthering Heights, by Emily Brontë. I used to own a couple of copies of it, but then asked myself WHY I had them, since I totally LOATHE this novel. So I donated them to a local Goodwill store.
Sadly, I was forced to donate a VERY large part of my collection when my husband and I moved into a smaller apartment, back in March of 2015. We had to sacrifice size in favor of location; we moved to a much nicer part of the city, with better security. Plus, we were no longer renting, but buying. So....with a very heavy heart, I found myself having to donate boxes and boxes of books to Goodwill. I was surprised at the titles I had accumulated over the years, too! Some of them were even easy to part with, incredibly enough. Others were not so easy....so I have them on one of my Amazon wish lists, for later acquisition. Where I'll put them, though, I have NO idea! Lol.
In spite of all of these donations, there were some books that I just could NOT bear to part with. So they're in public storage, and I'm paying a monthly fee for them. This might seem like a waste of money to most people, but what can I do?
So, when the rare occasion arises that I really DO want to get rid of a book, I will usually donate it, either to a Goodwill store, or to my local library. Of course, when I donate to a library, I check out the books other people have already donated to them! Haha! So it actually turns into a trade type of situation. (Although one library I visit from time to time asks for a monetary donation when you pick up donated books from them.)
Another book I actually COULDN'T WAIT to get rid of was The Gift by Cecelia Ahern. OMG, I TOTALLY loathe that book, too!! If any of you reading this post have read and liked it, I hope I haven't offended you. But then, everyone has their own reading tastes.
When I began reading that novel, I really liked it, but a certain plot twist had me wanting to throw the book against the wall! Honestly. Rather than do that, I quickly added it to my "To Be Donated" pile. Needless to say, I never finished the book. (I did peek ahead to the ending, and THAT was what made me see RED. Good thing I found out right away, though, so I didn't waste any more time. Lol.)
I don't give away books to any friends or family, sad to say..... My parents used to read years ago, but in recent years they've pretty much stopped. Besides, their taste in books is nowhere similar to mine, lol. They are very conservative folks, tending towards classics and nonfiction -- especially Catholic books. Me, I'm VERY eclectic and will also read stuff considered "non-kosher" by my family. Lol. I like classics, literary fiction, paranormal romance, fantasy, science fiction, historical romance, urban fantasy, Young Adult Fiction, and nonfiction. In nonfiction, my tastes run mostly to art, psychology, and spirituality (Christian and some New Age). As for my sisters, they are not into books at all. So, no, I wouldn't give any of my unwanted books to my family.
As for friends.....woe is me....I don't really have that many real-life friends. There are a couple of fellow teachers at work I'm friendly with, but I really wouldn't call them friends, since we don't hang out outside of work. I actually spend most of my time with my husband, especially the weekends.
One of these teachers, whom I have dinner with in the teachers' lounge every evening (Monday to Thursday) does like to read. She especially enjoys reading Ken Follett. She actually gave me a rather dog-eared paperback copy of World Without End, which I've been meaning to read. Even though I don't like to own books in that condition, I will go ahead and read this one. If I really like it, then I'll buy my own pristine copy. If not, then I'll take it over to Goodwill, and not buy a new copy for myself. Lol.
Of course, I do have friends in the book blogging world, but alas, they all live far, far away from me..... I wouldn't be shipping any of my unwanted books to them, as this could get VERY expensive, even if I didn't do it that often.
In the past, I've also gotten rid of books through my own blog giveaways. This is how I got rid of my Fallen books. This is a series written by a YA author named Lauren Kate. I mentioned these books in last week's post. Well, I held my own giveaway, and was able to get them off my shelves that way! Of course, this was not an international giveaway. It was only for U.S. residents. There's no way I would be able to afford postage for an international winner!
I'm currently thinking of holding a giveaway for a book I didn't quite like -- A Court of Thorns and Roses, by Sarah J. Maas. I know that a LOT of people have raved about this novel, but there are some objectionable elements in it, in my opinion. Again, this was a book I started out liking, but the author really ruined it for me in the end. Maybe someone who would like to read it will be happy to win it in a giveaway on this blog.
If any of you reading this have some unwanted books (and you probably do, even if you're a diehard hoarder like me), consider holding a giveaway with these books as prizes. What you don't like might be just the thing another book lover would! If, however, this doesn't appeal to you -- especially if you're not a fan of Rafflecopter giveaways -- then I think donating your books to a Goodwill store, or a library, would be your best bet.
I would NOT recommend trying to get rid of your unwanted books on Amazon or eBay, in case you've thought of THAT option. Selling on either of these two sites can be a HUGE headache! I know, because I tried selling some books on eBay once. No fun at all!
What are your thoughts on
this topic?
Please leave a comment!
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Thanks for visiting!!!
Great post on a very interesting topic Maria.
ReplyDeleteLike yourself I also do not like to part with books but there are a few that neither me or my wife want around. I work in a building with a lot of people and we have an ongoing, charity book sale so it is easy for me to donate there. If that ever closes, my library does the same thing. They charge for the used books but the prices are very low.
Speaking of Goodwill books, I discovered that my local has a fairly impressive use books section that rivals a small used book store.
Have a great weekend!
Hey, Brian!
DeleteThanks so much for the compliment!! <3 <3
Yes, for the most part, I am VERY reluctant to part with books. They have to be EXTREMELY disappointing and/or unpleasant for me to read, in order for me to be able to consider getting rid of them. However, as you saw with the examples I gave in this post, I have indeed come across such books. In these two cases, I actually could NOT wait to get them out of my library! You put it very well when you stated that both you and your wife didn't want to have certain books around! Lol.
It's WONDERFUL there's an ongoing charity book sale in the building where you work! How very convenient for you! But then you also have your local library. There are book sales in several of my local libraries, too. I don't go to any of them that often, but, when I do, I make sure to check to see if they have any donated books I might want! Lol. One of these libraries does ask for a small monetary donation. They don't specify an amount, though, so people can get away with giving just one or two dollars. Lol.
The Goodwill store I usually go to does have quite a few books, too. I have also bought books there, at incredibly LOW prices. The one drawback is that you have to stand in a LOOOONG line at the cash register!
You know what? One day, hubby and I went to a different Goodwill store, and I saw an entire encyclopedia for sale. It looked suspiciously like the one I had to give away when we moved! It was the Grolier Encyclopedia. I never read any of the volumes when I owned it, but I was sorely tempted to buy it back!! I felt SO sad, seeing all of these books there on the shelf.....
Thanks for the GREAT comment!! Hope you have a great weekend, too!! <3 <3 :) :)
I am a hoarder too. It is difficult to give books away, but I realized I HAVE to. :) No more room left.
ReplyDeleteI don't give away my favorites though.
I share books with friends and family first and then donate them.
Thanks for another wonderful post. You always give the best advice and answers.
I totally forgot about donating to Goodwill. Someone else mentioned it too.
I actually am taking books to our local hospital's library today. My shelves were bursting, and I had books on them that are from 2013 and still haven't read so I think it was time to clean out. :)
Thanks for a great answer, and have a wonderful weekend.
Happy Hopping!!
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Blog Hop Answer
Hi, Elizabeth!
DeleteYeah, I think that most of us bookworms are hoarders! Lol. Especially those of us who prefer printed books. It's just so LOVELY to see them sitting there, on our shelves, proudly displayed!!
I know that there are times one runs out of room.... As you know from this post -- and other posts where I've mentioned it in the past -- we had to move to a smaller place back in March of 2015. It was SO VERY DEPRESSING for me to have to donate SO many of my books....OMG, you have NO idea! I could cry right now, just remembering that.... However, there were some I had very little trouble giving away, surprisingly enough. Well, there were also quite a few that I simply could NOT bear to let go. ABSOLUTELY NOT. I would rather have a root canal than part with THESE books, lol. So I put them in public storage. I simply HAD to. I have a 5 x 10 unit that's FULL, from floor to ceiling, with plastic boxes containing books. And I am now paying $77.00 a month for it.... There are much higher prices elsewhere, so I just grin and bear it!
I can't BELIEVE you're actually donating ONE HUNDRED BOOKS to your local hospital!! Oh, Elizabeth, I'd be sobbing my heart out.... Well, when I was donating all of those books, prior to our move, there were days that I DID cry....
I'm thinking I should ask hubby to take me over to the storage unit to see what goodie(s) I can bring home to read, lol. Of course, I would have to take a book(s) from my home library to put in storage, so as to keep the numbers even. Lol!!
You're very welcome for my answer! Thanks for the GREAT comment!! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, as well!!
<3 <3 :) :) :)
I've tried selling my books on ebay and you're right, it is a huge headache! I sold maybe two books on there, which I was happy about, but most of the books I listed didn't get any traction at all. I've never tried Amazon and I don't think I will.
ReplyDeleteI usually use "unwanted" books for giveaways or send them with my kids to book exchanges at school or donate them to a used bookstore or thrift store.
Hi, Dena!
DeleteOh, yes, DEFINITELY! I didn't get very far. eBay actually deleted one of my listings, saying that I had "violated" one of their seller rules. When I called Customer Service (you have to contact that department for any questions, even if you're a seller instead of a buyer), the rep explained that the photo I had included in the listing did not show the book clearly, because the background was "too dark"! Well, I told her that I had seen PLENTY of other listings on eBay, with LOUSY pictures included. That comment didn't any good, however.
In order to try to sell this book, I would have had to create the listing AGAIN, from scratch, so I decided not to. The rest of the books I had for sale just sat there for over TWO months, and NO ONE bought them. So I finally decided to just pull their listings, and donated the books to Goodwill! Hahaha! And, of course, I canceled my seller account.
I have not sold any books on Amazon, but, given my experience on eBay, I decided not to even make the attempt.
Yeah, I have held giveaways too, from time to time. The only thing I don't like about doing this -- besides having to pay for shipping -- is having to go to the post office and stand in line to mail the books. Lol. This is yet ANOTHER reason I decided not to keep selling on eBay.
I guess the best thing to do is to donate unwanted books to a used bookstore, or a store like Goodwill, or give them away friends and/or family. In my case, however, I don't have anyone around me who would be interested.
Thanks for the great comment!! Hope you're having a great Saturday!! <3 <3 :) :)
Oh! Giveaways is a wonderful idea! I will have to do that in the future. Wonderful post!!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my BBH here.
Hi, Erica!
DeleteYeah, giveaways are a PERFECT way to get rid of unwanted books! On the other hand....you have to find a package to mail the books in, pay for shipping, and stand in line at the post office. But I guess it's an option to consider.
Thanks for the compliment, and the nice comment! Hope you're enjoying your Saturday! <3 :)
I mostly give to family or donate, but I did sell some on Gumtree once, when I had a more substantial pile.
ReplyDeleteHi, Nicki!
DeleteYeah, I guess most of us bookworms take one or both of these routes.
I've never heard of Gumtree, so I'll have to check that out!
Thanks for commenting!! Enjoy your weekend!! <3 :)
I normally just donate them to charity or pass them onto friends. The other option is to use book swap sites like readitswapit but that doesn't actually clear out space... however at least you get to replace a book with something new that you haven't read lol
ReplyDeleteHi, there!
DeleteI think this is what most of us bookworms do. I occasionally hold giveaways, although not very often, because I don't like having to find a box to put the unwanted book in, and then having to go to the post office, stand in line, and pay for the shipping. Lol.
I haven't heard of readiswapit, so I'll go check it out!
Thanks for the nice comment!! Hope you're enjoying your Saturday!! <3 :)